Lopes eyes lightweight move after two title-shot losses to Volkanovski block his featherweight path

Diego Lopes is weighing a move to lightweight after acknowledging that two losses to featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski have effectively closed the door on another title shot at 145 pounds.

The two-time UFC featherweight title challenger made his intentions clear following UFC Freedom 250, where he finished Steve Garcia. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Lopes said conversations with the UFC this past weekend centred more on the lightweight division than featherweight — a telling sign of where his future may lie.

“It’s a little difficult,” Lopes said. “As long as Volkanovski doesn’t retire, it’s going to be hard to get another title shot. I’d have to be rooting for him to lose, but I’d rather see him retire as champion because he was such a great champion for the division. I’m definitely in a bit of a tough spot.”

Lopes was direct about his preference, expressing a desire to compete at 155 pounds against a marquee opponent. “I have this desire to move up to 155 and take on an exciting fight,” he said. “So, I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen in my division. I had a conversation with the UFC this past weekend, and we actually talked more about the lightweight division than the featherweight division.”

His proximity to the lightweight scene was already evident at UFC Freedom 250, where Lopes weighed in as the backup fighter for the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje main event — a contest that sits firmly at 155 pounds.

Lopes indicated he would welcome the flexibility to compete in both divisions, but if forced to commit to one, lightweight is now his clear preference given the current featherweight landscape.

“If the UFC gives me the opportunity to keep fighting in both divisions, I’d love that,” he said. “But if they told me, ‘You have to pick one weight class,’ then, considering where things stand right now, and with Volkanovski still being the champion, I think I’d choose 155.”

While Lopes remains a top-ranked featherweight, the combination of Volkanovski’s continued dominance and his own back-to-back losses to the champion means a third title shot at 145 pounds is a distant prospect. A move to lightweight would reset his contender status but could open a fresh path to championship contention in one of the UFC’s most competitive divisions.